The North Cascades Highway clearing begins April 10, but heavy snowpack could keep it closed until June.
The latest reopening ever was the year after it first opened, June 14, 1974. If the clearing effort takes a full eight weeks, this year’s reopening could extend beyond Memorial Day into June, too. The weather, current snow slides over the road and the full chutes that haven’t emptied yet make it unsafe to begin any clearing work earlier than April 10. The volumes of snow through the 34 mile closed section is responsible for the up to eight-week estimate to reopen.
“An early opening is in time for the lowland fishing season opening, the third week in April. A typical opening is by the first weekend in May for Winthrop’s “49’er Days”. We’ve only been closed through Memorial Day once in 40 years, but it could happen this year,” said Twisp maintenance supervisor Don Becker.
On last Thursday’s assessment trip, WSDOT avalanche and maintenance staff found snow over the road 25 feet high below four of the 11 Cutthroat Ridge avalanche chutes. Below Liberty Bell Mountain the three main chutes were still full but had 35 to 45 foot accumulations on the highway below them. Even Whistler, between Washington and Rainy Passes had dumped 15 feet onto the highway, three times more than recorded in the past decade.
Last year clearing started on March 17 and the highway opened a month later on April 22. Avalanches closed the highway lastNovember 21. The latest opening in the last 10 years was May 25, 2011.
There is another change this year. Too many close calls as the volume of bicycle and skiers has continued to increase while our crews are working has forced closure of the highway Monday through Thursday during the clearing. You’re still welcome Friday throughSunday. We still advise checking with the NW Avalanche Center, the National Park Service or the U.S. Forest Service about the back country avalanche conditions before you go.
We’ll continue posting pictures week to week on FlickR as usual (www.flickr.com/photos/wsdot/a
